At a time when human beings are treated as legal property, to help individuals gain their freedom can get you in trouble with the law.

That was the situation during the mid-1800s when people like Thomas Garrett, Samuel Burris, and John Hunn used every resource they had to help thousands of people gain their freedom. All three were convicted on various charges for their activities.

Now, thanks to the work of Robert Seeley, there's an effort to obtain pardons for all three men.